Current State of the 'Regent Experience'?

[Travelcat2]

Agree that this is an excellent idea.

[tallship]

Wes, many thanks for helping out your fellow travelers

[JMARINER]

concur Wendy, sent a copy of this thread via email w/pertinent posts (count florida's, Opringtont's) directly to new Regent President Kumlani and FDR...ball is in their court.

 

Wes, I would like to comment on the other side of the equation. I and my DW are very active.

 

Many times ShorEx staff would downplay the walking or agility needed on tours and people were encouraged to "try it" when they shouldn't. Made for a bad experience all the way around. So in that regard I too think that Regent should offer tours that are more geared for limited mobility, but more than just sit on the bus for 4 hours.

 

Let take a poll.

 

j

[OrpingtonT]

Wes, I would like to comment on the other side of the equation. I and my DW are very active.

 

Many times ShorEx staff would downplay the walking or agility needed on tours and people were encouraged to "try it" when they shouldn't. Made for a bad experience all the way around. So in that regard I too think that Regent should offer tours that are more geared for limited mobility, but more than just sit on the bus for 4 hours.

 

Let take a poll.

 

j

 

I am not sure what "a poll" would achieve because I think we are on the same side here. Any tour which does not involve full mobilty would be welcome, sitting on a bus or otherwise. Perhaps people would not feel that they have to try it when they shouldn't.

 

I have started a thread on this subject, as suggested.

[AWED23]

Thanks count florida/Mike & Pat, OrpingtonT/Tom & Barbara for pointing out the immediate need for improved limited mobility excursion options. Have not seen a topic on this Regent board in a while that deserves a response/action from PCH/Regent leadership more than this one. Am guessing if you both find current limited mobility options limited, many other Regent limited mobility pax do too. Hope Kunal Kamlani or FDR respond with an action plan.

Well said....Tom, I hope we can get the proper attention needed on this subject. As a platinum Regent cruiser of 80 years of age I can understand what you are talking about...We need more "Panoramic" excursions for many of us who frequent Regent....Thanks Col. Wes for your comment...Now come on FDR and do the right thing that most of us expect of you. That is why we are supporters of Regent, we have come to expect Regent to always do the right thing....Rob M.

[Emdee]

My take is as follows:

Provide excursions that offer limited mobility passengers the opportunity to sightsee.

Provide other excursions for those who dont have mobility issues.

 

Whatever the excursion clearly state the level of the excursion. I would class myself as having no problem walking for a couple of hours or more but I certain wouldnt be able to hike a mountain or rapel down a cliff face. Nothing worse than having people who cannot cope on an active excursion.

 

I am about to book a regent cruise and have noticed that the number of excursion offerings have been reduced quite a bit. So that needs to be addressed to. If excursions are 'free' then they should have some suitable choices for every passenger!!

[UUNetBill]

I am about to book a regent cruise and have noticed that the number of excursion offerings have been reduced quite a bit. So that needs to be addressed to. If excursions are 'free' then they should have some suitable choices for every passenger!!

 

Whew! Glad I'm not the only one who noticed this - I thought maybe I was just getting cranky or something, but it really does appear that the options have slimmed down, with the space in the brochures filled up with half- and full-day car, coach, and van tours at a pretty hefty surcharge...

[Travelcat2]

I guess we can't have it both ways....... many people want "free" excursions..... however, Regent only lists an excursion as "free" if it is under a certain dollar amount. If it exceeds the amount it becomes a Regent Choice excursion with a price tag attached. Last year we noticed the price of excursions in Europe and the Mediterranean -- they were sky high. Therefore there were less "free" excursions.

 

Some passengers ask for better quality excursions....... that would certainly be nice but how many are willing to pay for them? I cannot imagine that anyone would want Regent to include more expensive excursions and once again add this to everyone's fare!

 

Our experience with included excursions is as follows:

 

South America: Few excursions in some ports - not many options are available. We were less satisfied overall with excursions in South America (meaning that a few were quite good) than anywhere.

 

India: Good to excellent "free" pre-cruise excursion to Agra (some disagree). Excursions in the rest of India were poor to mediocre -- poor buses -- difficult to understand tour guides. There was a revolt on three buses on one excursion -- everyone on the bus wanted to go back to the ship -- only one bus went back -- the rest of us suffered through yet another tourist store.

 

Europe: Mostly good choices -- the Regent Choice excursions were excellent and worth the money.

 

Worst excursion - ever!: Bali -- "included" excursion on the day of disembarkation. This excursion ended at the airport. It became so bad that no one wanted to get off of the bus at two stops.

 

Excursions that caused us to cancel a cruise: Upcoming Hong Kong to Beijing cruise. The excursion offerings were extremely poor compared to last year. We were going to do our own thing. Then the Japanese government would not let us stay as long as originally planned. This left us with two half days and made it impossible to do what we had wanted.

 

We have definitely given "included" excursions a chance and still dislike them. While they are extremely successful in drawing customers to Regent, I do not expect to see them putting any more money into them unless it is passed on to you -- their customers. So, IMO, either accept what Regent offers, do your own thing or push Regent to pay more for excursions -- give it to you free and make us all pay for it:mad::mad::mad:

[cruisealert]

We have traveled several different cruise lines, but for past 4 years, Regent is our peference. Our next trip is in November 2013. We just had a wonderful cruise last November from Monaco to Buenos Aires for 27 days. I have posted our review on Cruise Critic. We loved it. We had a wonderful Penthouse C suite -- great service. We loved Compass Rose. If we did not see an item we liked ( one night I think) we asked for something else. Wine Selection was always good and you can ask for previous wines. Tried and liked all specialty restaurants and liked Prime 7 best. Only negative were Brazilian excursions -- not much to see -- but they may not have been Regent's fault.

I expect you will have a wonderful Regent Experience. We always do. Always meet great people and we also love the entertainment:)

[regent traveller]

Just wrote a lengthy quantitative not qualitative review of private vs regent shore ex to Summer Palace Ayutthaya and our overnight transfer and return to ship and was timed out by Regent Internet . Regent trip was $300 for two and our private tour, transfer to BKK and return to ship the next day thanks to recommendation of Col Wes for Oriental Escapes was $350. My husband who does work from ship said he went down to computer room as he usually works from ouR suite and said that spider webs are growing on people's fingers between key strokes. Will be trying Silver Sea next year for 2 segments from Cape Town to Canary Islands and am looking forward to non included shore ex. Will post more later and be mindful of Regent cutti g me off. We are platinum and really hate to give up on freebies but can't take slow Internet when trying(I also work not retired) to use Internet.

[regent traveller]

We left the ship just a little before the group and we were in BKK around 4:30 and Regent group got to ship around regent used to offer a complimentary overnight in BKK so you didn't have to endure the cost or time to travel away from Laem Chabang port

[Travelcat2]

Just wrote a lengthy quantitative not qualitative review of private vs regent shore ex to Summer Palace Ayutthaya and our overnight transfer and return to ship and was timed out by Regent Internet . Regent trip was $300 for two and our private tour, transfer to BKK and return to ship the next day thanks to recommendation of Col Wes for Oriental Escapes was $350. My husband who does work from ship said he went down to computer room as he usually works from ouR suite and said that spider webs are growing on people's fingers between key strokes. Will be trying Silver Sea next year for 2 segments from Cape Town to Canary Islands and am looking forward to non included shore ex. Will post more later and be mindful of Regent cutti g me off. We are platinum and really hate to give up on freebies but can't take slow Internet when trying(I also work not retired) to use Internet.

 

In terms of internet, Silversea is as slow as Regent (love the image of spider webs growing on people's fingers between key strokes:-) We are also platinum (or will be in 4 weeks) and have learned to go online early in the morning or late at night. Supposedly, faster internet speeds will be available for cruise ships in 2014. In the meantime, the spider webs will continue to grow.

 

Think you will enjoy Silversea but will miss the benefits of Regent (and the crew who are so endearing). The experience is very similar to Regent -- including the pluses and minuses.